Portable point-of-care surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy for the quantification of glutathione in whole blood microsamples.

Glutathione (GSH) is a non-protein tripeptide thiol that plays a prominent role in oxidative stress defense. GSH concentration is particularly critical in the neonatal period, especially for premature newborns that face increased susceptibility to oxidative stress. Monitoring GSH levels provides valuable insights into newborn health, helping to tailor care to their specific needs.

Searching molecular biomarkers correlating with BSID-III at 24 months in infants with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

An early prediction of outcomes of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NE) is of key importance in reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity. The objectives were (i) to analyze the characteristics of miRNA expression and metabolic patterns of neonates with NE and (ii) to assess their predictive performance for neurodevelopmental outcomes. Plasma samples from moderate/severe NE patients (N = 92) of the HYPOTOP study were collected before, during, and after therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and compared to a control group (healthy term infants).

Oxylipin profile of human milk and human milk-derived extracellular vesicles.

Background: Small Extracellular Vesicles (sEVs) are nano-sized vesicles that are present in all biofluids including human milk (HM) playing a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication and the stimulation of the neonatal immune system. Oxylipins, which are bioactive lipids formed from polyunsaturated fatty acids, have gained considerable attention due to their potential role in mitigating disease progression and modulating the inflammatory status of breastfed infants. This study aims at an in-depth characterization of the oxylipin profiles of HM and, for the first time, of HM-derived sEVs (HMEVs) employing an ad-hoc developed and validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method.

Effect of autologous umbilical cord blood transfusion in the development of retinopathy of prematurity: randomized clinical trial - study protocol.

Background: Currently, the treatment of anemia in preterm infants is based on packed red blood cell (RBC) transfusions from adult donors. Oxygen (O2) is mainly transported to the tissues bound to hemoglobin (Hb). In extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs), fetal hemoglobin (HbF), which has a higher affinity for O2, represents up to 95% of circulating hemoglobin.

Wheat Oxylipins in Response to Aphids, CO and Nitrogen Regimes.

Wheat is critical for food security, and is challenged by biotic stresses, chiefly aphids and the viruses they transmit. The objective of this study was to determine whether aphids feeding on wheat could trigger a defensive plant reaction to oxidative stress that involved plant oxylipins. Plants were grown in chambers with a factorial combination of two nitrogen rates (100% N vs.

Metabolomic Diversity of Human Milk Cells over the Course of Lactation-A Preliminary Study.

Human milk (HM) is a complex biofluid containing a wide cell variety including epithelial cells and leukocytes. However, the cellular compositions and their phenotypic properties over the course of lactation are poorly understood. The aim of this preliminary study was to characterize the cellular metabolome of HM over the course of lactation.

Longitudinal perturbations of plasma nuclear magnetic resonance profiles in neonatal encephalopathy.

Background: Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a major cause of mortality and severe neurological disability in the neonatal period and beyond. We hypothesized that the degree of brain injury is reflected in the molecular composition of peripheral blood samples.

Methods: A sub-cohort of 28 newborns included in the HYPOTOP trial was studied.

Brain Oxygen Perfusion and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease-A Retrospective, Case-Control Pilot Study.

Fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) have circulatory changes that may lead to predictable blood flow disturbances that may affect normal brain development. Hypoxemia and hypoperfusion may alter the redox balance leading to oxidative stress (OS), that can be assessed measuring stable end-products. OS biomarkers (OSB) were measured in amniotic fluid in fetuses with ( = 41) and without CHD ( = 44) and analyzed according to aortic flow, expected cyanosis after birth, and a CHD classification derived from this.

A UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of oxidative stress biomarkers in amniotic fluid.

Oxidative stress in the fetal period is associated with preterm birth as well as short and long-term adverse clinical outcomes. Here, an Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous quantification of biomarkers of oxidative stress-derived damage to proteins and DNA in amniotic fluid (AF) samples is presented. Appropriate accuracy and precision levels, as well as sensitivity with limits of detection in the low nanomolar (<2 nM) range were achieved.

Do Levels of Lipid Peroxidation Biomarkers Reflect the Degree of Brain Injury in Newborns?

The pathogenesis and progression of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a major cause of severe neurological disability and mortality in the perinatal period, are shaped by the interplay of multiple processes, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity. We conducted a longitudinal study to determine biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in noninvasive urine samples of newborns with moderate/severe HIE ( = 51), employing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. We noted that levels of several biomarkers of oxidative stress increased over time, demonstrating the ongoing propagation of oxidative injury.